Somali Pirates Attack Four Commercial Ships
In bold attacks, aggressive pirates attack three cargo ships in one day off the coast of Somalia. A few days later two more ships were attacked.
Armed Pirates hijacked three ships in one day in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia on Thursday, August 21.
The first incident involved Iranian bulk carrier, IRAN DEYNAT. Seventeen pirates reportedly fired continuously on the ship before boarding and taking command of the vessel. The ship was transporting 40,000 tons of iron ore with a crew of 24 from China to the Netherlands.
Shortly after, a Japanese-operated chemical tanker with 19 crew members was attacked and seized in the same area. Just hours after the first two incidents, a German-operated cargo ship with 9 crew members was seized.
Noel Choong of the The International Maritime Bureau (IBM) has issued a warning to all ships in the Gulf of Aden to keep a strict watch while passing through the dangerous stretch of waters along Somalia's coastline. More than 24 ships have been attacked by pirates in Somalia since April of this year. Since Somalia has no central government to take action, the IBM has called upon the United Nations for help. An international naval force including the United States, Germany, France, Pakistan, Canada, and Britain, has been deployed to track and monitor the movement of the three hijacked ships as they move closer to Somalia territory.
Iran Shipping Lines' (IRISL) managing-director, Mohammad-Hossein Dajmar said that they are using diplomacy to try to secure the release of the sailors aboard the IRAN DEYNAT. There have been no demands from the pirates for releasing the soldiers on the ships as of yet but the sailors have been reported to be in good health.
On Saturday, August 23rd, just days after four vessels were hijacked off the coast of Somalia, two more cargo ships were attacked in attempted hijackings in the same area.
A Japanese-operated cargo ship with a crew of 20 was attacked and fired upon by pirates in two speedboats as it travelled through the Somalia coast on its way from Singapore to the Middle East. The captain of the ship took evasive maneuvers and increased their speed to avoid capture. After an hour-long chase, the pirates failed to seize the ship and all crew members were safe. The vessel received minor damages due to bullet holes.
Three hours later a Liberian cargo ship was also attacked by pirates in two speedboats in the same manner. The captain of the vessel alerted the piracy center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Shortly after, a military aircraft of a multinational naval force deployed in the area, arrived on the scene and the pirates stopped their attack. No casualties or injuries were reported.
Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau's (IMB) piracy center in Kuala Lumpur, stated that both attacks were believed to have been carried out by pilots that belonged to the same group.
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